symbiosis

Edge evidence

• host organism causes biological process involved in symbiotic interaction biolink:causes

  Presence of a host or partner organism establishes the symbiotic interaction.

  • DOI:10.1073/pnas.1218525110 McFall-Ngai et al. document host-microbe association as a pervasive feature of animal biology.
• biological process involved in symbiotic interaction enables symbiosis RO:0002327

  Sustained symbiotic interaction realizes the symbiotic lifestyle.

  • DOI:10.1038/s41579-021-00550-7 Drew et al. frame symbioses as a parasite-mutualist continuum of persistent interactions.
• host metabolites / exudates sensed by chemotaxis machinery

  Host-produced metabolites diffuse to create concentration gradients sensed by bacterial chemotaxis machinery.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 Host-produced metabolites act as chemoattractants; diffusion creates concentration gradients that bacteria sense and follow. Broad cross-system review (Wiesmann et al. 2023).
• chemotaxis machinery promotes host colonization RO:0002213

  Chemotaxis and motility direct bacteria toward host surfaces, promoting colonization across lifestyles.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 Chemotaxis and motility are broadly required across mutualists and pathogens; general edge spanning pathogenic, commensal, and mutualist lifestyles.
• adhesins required for host colonization

  Binding of bacterial adhesins to host receptors is a prerequisite for long-term host colonization.

  • DOI:10.3390/microorganisms12051026 Binding of bacterial adhesins to host receptors is a prerequisite for the long-term colonization of bacteria; broad colonization review (Lin et al. 2024). Curated as a general adhesin node per report warning.
• biofilm formation supports biological process involved in symbiotic interaction

  Biofilm formation protects bacteria from host-secreted antimicrobials and stresses, supporting persistent host association.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 After colonization, biofilm formation protects bacteria from host-secreted antimicrobial peptides and other stresses, supporting persistence. Strong conserved persistence edge.
• O-antigen contributes to immune evasion RO:0002326

  O-antigen presence contributes to immune evasion, partly by cloaking MAMPs from host recognition.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 O-antigen presence contributes to immune evasion, partly by cloaking MAMPs; strong envelope-modification edge across host systems.
• immune evasion promotes host colonization RO:0002213

  Evading host innate immune detection enables sustained colonization.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 Loss of O-antigen induces TLR4 activation and ROS bursts, impairing colonization; conversely immune evasion supports colonization (Wiesmann et al. 2023).
• host-associated cues sensed by two-component systems

  Two-component systems sense host-associated cues such as iron, acidic pH, cationic peptides, and oxygen depletion.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 Two-component systems sense host-associated cues (iron, acidic pH, cationic peptides, divalent metals, oxygen depletion). Strong regulatory edge with generic node.
• two-component systems triggers outer-membrane modification

  Two-component systems trigger gene regulatory programs leading to outer-membrane modification and biofilm formation.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 TCSs trigger gene regulatory programs that causally lead to specialized metabolism, outer-membrane modification, and biofilm formation. High-level mechanistic umbrella edge.
• two-component systems triggers biofilm formation

  Two-component system signaling promotes biofilm formation as part of host-cue-triggered programs.

  • DOI:10.1093/femsre/fuac048 TCSs trigger gene regulatory programs that causally lead to outer-membrane modification and biofilm formation.